MANILA – Kiefer Ravena had a much better offensive game as Yokohama B-Corsairs pulled off a 77-75 victory over Sendai 89ers in the Japan B.League Division 1 on Sunday at the Kamei Arena Sendai.
The Iloilo City-native guard finished with 12 points, including two three-point conversions, to go with three assists and one rebounds as the B-Corsairs cruised to a 2-0 start this season.
“Two consecutive away games are very hard. We lost the first half for two days in a row, but we fought as one and won, so it was really good,” said Ravena, who was held to six points in their 72-68 win over Sendai on Saturday.
“We are a young team, so I think a lot of things will happen. This season will be a long one, so I want everyone to understand what we have to do and make corrections to create a good team,” he added.
Damien Inglis led the way for Yokohama with 13 points, while Gary Clark, Maik Kotsar, and Koya Sudo finished with 11 markers apiece in the win. Stanton Kidd led the 89ers with 21 points.
Bobby Ray Parks Jr., on the other hand, continued his stellar play for new team, Osaka Evessa, as they defeated Shiga Lakes, 86-79, over at the Shiga Daihatu Arena.
The former TNT Tropang Giga standout finished with a team-high of 23 points, including four triples, to go with seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal as the Evessa improved to 2-0.
“We were able to play our own basket in the second half, but we were caught up in the fourth quarter, so we need to work on how we close the game for our upcoming matches,” Parks said.
Dwight Ramos’ 18-point showing was not enough as Levanga Hokkaido bowed to Shimane Susanoo Magic, 75-63, while Kai Sotto finished with just nine points as Koshigaya Alphas lost to Alvark Tokyo, 91-72.
In Division 2, Geo Chiu finished with two points, five rebounds, one steal, and a block as Ehime Orange Vikings scored a 92-77 win over Fukushima Firebonds, bouncing back from their 85-70 loss to the same team on Saturday./PN
